Summary: Hermione makes headway with Snape… and finds out something important.

A/N: Thanks for following! Glad you're enjoying it. (I hope you're enjoying it.) :)

On that note, I'd like to toot my horn for my Scratch that Niche fest fic Portkey through Time which won the People's Choice award. Feel free to pull it up from my profile and give it a read if you already haven't.

Chapter 4

The next day, Hermione thought it would be important to practice some more before attempting to communicate with Snape again. Perhaps she could see how Ginny was doing so Harry wouldn't be so worried about her. She reached out with her mind, and after a few minutes felt Ginny's consciousness.

"Ginny, are you all right?"

Hermione marveled that this type of communication actually worked. It was odd to think that she could have an entire conversation with someone's subconscious, and they would never be the wiser.

"It's been hard, but I'm okay," Ginny thought.

"Are you safe?"

"Oh yes. We've been hiding in the Room of Requirement, and for some reason when we do get detentions, Snape assigns us to Hagrid. It's more of a fun time than a detention."

Hermione wondered about that. It seemed odd that Snape would put them with Hagrid. He knew of Hagrid's inability to be mean to anything.

"I'm glad you're okay. Can I give a message to Harry for you?"

"Tell him I miss him."

Hermione smiled and ended the connection with the younger girl.

She thought about who else she could contact. Maybe Neville. She said the spell again quietly and was in his head.

"Hi Neville. Are you doing okay?"

"Oy, Hermione, it's good to hear from you. I'm as good as I can be. School is so different now with Death Eaters as professors."

"I hear Snape sends you to Hagrid for detentions?"

"Yeah, it's bonkers. Not sure what he's trying to accomplish. The Carrows just want to cast Unforgivables at everyone, but he puts his foot down."

"I wonder why that is?"

"He probably doesn't want so many kids in the infirmary."

"Maybe. Well, take care of yourself," she thought as she left his mind.

One more try… Maybe Professor McGonagall.

She reached out again.

"Hello, Professor. How are you?"

"How am I? I'll tell you how I am. I'm sick of being under these Death Eaters. This isn't a school, it's a prison!"

"I'm sorry to hear that. What about Professor Snape?"

"That murderer? I try to talk to him as little as possible."

"That makes sense. Thanks for chatting."

"Stay safe, Hermione."

She smiled to herself at her professor's wishes for her. Getting up, she headed out of the tent. She found Harry sitting against a tree, whittling a piece of wood into something which she couldn't identify. She sat down next to him.

"I just used my Empathic powers to reach out to Ginny."

She lifted her hand when she saw Harry's worried look.

"She's fine. I just wanted to practice this new type of communication that I discovered with Empathic medicine."

"We can talk with her?"

"When I communicate this way, it's with the subconscious. She won't remember any of it. It's probably best that we don't communicate with her in any other way. No one can know that we're safe and alive. She's doing okay, Harry. She said she misses you."

Harry grinned broadly. "That's brilliant, Hermione. Even if we can't talk with her, just knowing she's okay really helps."

Hermione nodded. "Yes. One little worry has been lifted from us. I reached out to Neville and Professor McGonagall as well. They both seem to be okay, and the professor is angry at her situation under the Death Eaters in the school."

"I can imagine. It must be horrid to be there with Snape as Headmaster." He shuddered. "I'm glad we didn't go back."

"Yeah, me too," Hermione agreed.

Harry rose. "Come on. Let's sneak into the nearest town and get some real food."

"Sounds great."

Hermione bound up, and they were soon on their way.

oooOOOooo

Hermione's alarm awakened her early in the morning. She leaned over to the table and picked up her wand, casting spells to keep Harry from hearing her if she made any noise while in Snape's head. She closed her eyes and said the spell.

She was in his dream once again. It seemed that he was having the same dream as before. She made her way to the door and stood there for a second.

"May I help, Professor?" she asked quickly.

He didn't even look up. "The cauldron at the end," he said.

She headed over to it. It was the same golden cauldron with the same image of the trio. She stirred the cauldron without saying a word. She didn't want him to shout her out of his mind again.

After a long while, she felt that she could ask a question without him exploding.

"What potion is this, Professor?" Hermione asked as she stirred.

"Can't say," Severus said quickly. He too stirred and then moved to another cauldron.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Can't tell you. If I say, he'll know…"

"Who?"

Severus' head snapped up and he stopped mid-stir. "Him!" he said.

"Voldemort?"

"DO NOT SAY HIS NAME!" Severus spat at her.

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry, sir." She swallowed hard. "How would… You-Know-Who know if you told me?"

Severus laid his stirrer next to the cauldron he was stirring and came up to her.

"He knows! He can read minds. Even though I can fight against it… he might find a way… "

"But you have nothing to hide from him," Hermione said off-handedly, hoping her nonchalance would keep Severus from suspecting her of looking for information.

"The war hangs on the balance of what the Dark Lord believes and what he can find out in my head."

Hermione stopped stirring and looked at him.

"Stir!" he demanded.

She quickly did as he asked.

"Professor… Why is it important that the…" she gestured with her head toward Snape. "Dark Lord… not know what this is?"

Severus looked into the cauldron. He reached into the liquid and scooped some out, letting it fall through his fingers.

"This is the key to the war."

Hermione looked back into the cauldron. The reflection of Ron, Harry, and her still shone brightly within it.

Severus pulled back. "I have said too much. You must go. Leave now!"

"But Professor, I want to help you with your potions."

"No, go back. Leave me!"

Once again, she was thrown back onto her camp bed, feeling the mattress under her back. She sighed.

"At least that lasted a bit longer," she murmured to herself.

This encounter only left questions in her mind. Why was he guarding a cauldron of them? And why did he say they were the key to the war? It almost sounded like he was still on their side because how could they be the key to the war if they were You-Know-Who's enemies? Hopefully, tomorrow's encounter would help her understand more of what was going on in Snape's head.

oooOOOooo

After a week of Dream Therapy, she'd really gotten no farther than she had previously. Thinking about the last week of Snape's dreams, she noticed that the number of cauldrons had decreased from the original ten. Snape furiously hovered over eight cauldrons now, including the golden one that had the trio's images in it. She also noticed it was the only cauldron he'd let her help with. Whenever she tried to attend to a different one, she'd be barked at, and he'd motion to which one she was supposed to be stirring.

She huffed as she sat on her camp bed reviewing the Empathic medicine book. She'd finished the entire thing and had learned much. Unfortunately, there hadn't been any other information on Dream Therapy.

She had gleaned that although she was spending her night in Snape's dreams, her body was able to rest because of the spell, so even though her time in Snape's head was growing longer, she never felt worn out, which was fortunate. She wasn't sure how she'd explain that to Harry if he ever asked why she looked like shite.

Hermione reread the dream sections now to see if there was any key to drive Snape's dreams to give her the answers she sought. Nothing really jumped out at her. She got up and wandered outside. Maybe walking along the perimeter of the wards would help to clear her mind.

As she walked, she thought that she needed to invent a spell that would have her wards and protections follow her so she could walk farther than the small area she'd designated as their safe zone. She stopped at the edge of the wards and looked out into the forest. She saw a rabbit nosing around off in the distance and smiled. It was nice to know that peaceful scenes still existed in the crazy world she now found herself in.

She mulled over her Snape problem as she continued to stare at the rabbit. Maybe if she were open with him, he'd feel he could be open with her? But what could she tell him that wouldn't give away what they were doing or where they were? Suddenly, it came to her. She smiled to herself. She'd tell him about Ron leaving them.

oooOOOooo

Hermione stirred the cauldron carefully. She really wasn't sure what she was doing, but she knew if she wasn't concise, Snape would be angry with her and throw her out of his dream. It had happened twice already.

"You know," she said nonchalantly. "It's been hard for us since Ron left. It's been too quiet."

Severus stopped stirring and looked at her. "Weasley has left you?"

She nodded. "He got mad one day and Disapparated. He didn't come back before it was time to relocate."

"I find it's hard dealing with others during this time," Severus mentioned.

Hermione bit her lower lip, trying to think of a way to get information out of him.

"Who gives you the hardest time?" she finally asked.

"Those foul Carrows. All they want to do is torture the children. I'm going mad trying to head them off so I can give them detentions with Hagrid instead."

"Why do you care if the Carrows torture the children or not?"

"What do you take me for, Granger?" Snape said caustically.

Hermione looked up quickly at Snape. "I… I mean… doesn't it forward the cause to have them be tortured?"

Severus pulled his stirrer out of his potion and slammed it onto the table beside the cauldron he was stirring.

"I am NOT a monster!"

Hermione stared at him, her eyes wide. "No… of course not," she said finally.

She stirred silently for a while.

"Does the Dark Lord want them to act that way?" she asked tentatively.

"He doesn't care. He leaves the school in my hands."

Hermione looked at him in puzzlement. "Shouldn't you let them do what they want, then?"

Severus' lips thinned to a straight line. "They are foul, gormless dullards who are nothing but power hungry. The only reason they follow the Dark Lord is so they can rule over others."

"Why do you follow him?" Hermione snuck in.

"Do not ask me that!" He glowered at her. "It's time for you to go."

"But… "

"Now!"

Hermione put her stirrer down. "Yes, sir," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Severus had gone back to his stirring and just nodded.

With a swoosh, she was back on her camp bed. That encounter had been interesting. Why would Professor Snape care if the students were tortured or not? No other Death Eater would care one way or another; Hermione was sure of that.

She sighed. She had a long way to go to understanding Severus Snape and why he turned traitor.

oooOOOooo

When Hermione materialized in Snape's dream, she was shocked to find they weren't in the lab. They were at the base of the stairway to the Astronomy Tower. She could hear voices above her. Looking over at Snape, he looked terrible. She thought she saw fear in his eyes, but that couldn't be, could it?

He took in three breaths as he gazed up the stairs and winced. All of a sudden, his face turned to a mask. The change was so rapid, Hermione almost felt a chill in the air. Snape started up the stairs with his wand drawn. She followed behind.

Soon, they were at the top, and the scene was obvious. Albus stood off to the side as Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters surrounded Malfoy. His wand was outstretched, but he didn't look like he had the wherewithal to kill Dumbledore.

It didn't matter, really, and she could almost feel the resignation in Snape's stance as he looked at Dumbledore.

"Severus… please…"

"Avada Kedavra."

Everyone fled except for Snape. He stared after Dumbledore's body. Once the Death Eaters had disappeared, he sunk to the ground, his eyes never leaving the wall where Dumbledore had fallen.

"You bastard!" he yelled. "It may have not damaged my soul, you meddling old coot, but it has destroyed me!"

Hermione gaped at Snape. He put his head into his hands and wept bitterly. Hermione rushed over to him and knelt beside him, putting her arm around him.

"Professor… "

"He made me do it! He made me do it!" Snape cried as his hands fisted around his hair, tugging at it.

"Why would he do such a thing?" Hermione asked in shock.

"He made me do it!"

Hermione kept staring at her professor.

"What did he make you do?" she asked finally.

"He made me kill him! So Bellatrix wouldn't do it."

"But why…?"

Snape gasped. "He was dying… Cursed… his hand… Only weeks to live… "

Hermione stiffened.

"You're saying the curse wasn't healed? He was going to die anyway?"

Snape nodded vigorously. "I did all I could… Too Dark."

Snape's hands lowered, and he hugged himself. "Couldn't save him, so I killed him." He bent over and moved back and forth, trying to console his damaged spirit. "Set my place with my master… trusted completely now… murderer… "

Hermione could only stare at Snape. Her arm lay forgotten around his shoulders as she looked at him, watching him fall apart.

"Murderer… " he said again between sobs.

"It was a mercy killing," Hermione whispered, more to herself than anything.

She doubted Snape had heard her. She shook her head as she stared at Snape in horror. The reality of what he'd done and what he had to live with overcame her.

"Professor."

"Go!" he screamed at her.

"No!" she yelled back just as loudly. "I will stay here with you. This is too much for one person to deal with."

He didn't look at her. His eyes were closed, and his head hung low. His arms were still crossed in front of him, hugging himself in sorrow.

"Professor Snape, it was a mercy killing. Professor Dumbledore was right, he would have been tortured had you not done it."

She didn't know what else to say, so she just stayed there with her arm around him as his sobs slowly turned to gasps and eventually quieted. His breathing evened out finally, and he lifted his head and looked straight ahead.

"Go."

"You need a friend," Hermione countered.

"You are hardly my friend."

"I am now," she replied.

"Leave me in peace."

"I fear you haven't been in peace for a long time. It's not your fault, Professor. I know that now."

"Fantastic. Then be off with you."

He stood then. Her arm fell off his shoulder as he rose. Seemingly, he'd pulled himself back together. He wouldn't face her. His arms folded in front of him as she stared at his stiff back.

"Leave, now."

She stood then. "All right. I'll be back, though."

Hermione was surprised to see a slight nod come from Snape.

"Good night, Professor," she said as she was thrust back to her reality.

Her eyes opened slowly. She didn't realize there were tears rolling down the sides of her face into her hair. Finally noticing, she wiped away the wetness.

Her mind was racing.

Of all the scenarios she'd created in her head to explain why Snape had killed Dumbledore, this one had never even crossed her mind. She ran through what she'd just seen over again in her mind.

He's innocent, and no one knows it.

In an instant, he'd turned from a villain to a victim. She knew Severus Snape was truly too strong of a man ever to be a victim, but the secrets he was hiding were enough to destroy a lesser man. Her heart went out to him, empathizing with his plight. What would it feel like to have everyone hate you like that, but you knew the truth of the matter and couldn't let a soul know what it was?

How can he pull off such deception with Voldemort? He's a strong Occlumens, but I had no idea…

Hermione lay awake the rest of the night, processing everything Snape had told her.

In the wee hours of the morning, she came to a decision. Severus Snape needed an ally, even if it was only in his dreams. Maybe she could help to ease his burden just a fraction. Maybe with her interactions, he wouldn't feel so alone.

oooOOOooo

The following night when she delved into his mind, she found they were back in the lab. She wondered if the previous night's dream was a nightmare she'd entered involuntarily. Hopefully, her presence had helped.

She entered the lab and nodded at Snape, taking her place at the golden cauldron. She lifted her stirring rod, placed it in the potion, and began to stir. There were now only six cauldrons including hers. She mulled over that as she stirred and stirred. It could mean one of two things. She had wondered if these cauldrons represented tasks that Snape had to complete. If so, the disappearing cauldrons could signify that he'd completed the task.

Looking into the cauldron and seeing her face along with Harry and Ron's made her wonder if that was the case, what was his task for them? Was it something Voldemort wanted him to do to them, or was it something he needed to do for the light?

She sighed. Her other theory was that the cauldrons were simply a way that the secretive professor could distract her from getting too close to him. That theory seemed more in line with what Professor Snape would probably do, being a spy. If that was the case, maybe she was slowly getting somewhere.

Hermione looked up at her professor.

"Sir, what happened to the other cauldrons?" she asked.

"What other cauldrons?"

"There were more… before."

He looked up at her. "Don't be daft. There have only ever been six cauldrons."

She nodded, although she was quite puzzled. Given this was a dream, she figured it made perfect sense to Snape.

"What's that one for?" she asked as she motioned to the one he was stirring.

"It's none of your concern. Just concentrate on yours," he griped as he moved to the next cauldron and added some mint leaves.

Hermione removed the stirrer from her cauldron and placed it alongside it. She moved up to Snape.

"I want to help with more. Isn't there something else I can do?"

Severus looked at her and sneered. "You are here to stir that cauldron." He pointed to the golden one.

"Yes sir, but does it need to be stirred constantly, or can I stir another one while it rests? Maybe if you told me what it is, I could manage my time better."

"You don't need to know what it is, or how to manage your time. Just stir the bloody thing!"

Hermione nodded. "All right. All right, sir."

She turned to head back to the cauldron but stopped short and turned back to him.

"Professor, I think what you are doing is incredibly brave."

The sneer fell from his face, and he almost looked fearful. The fear quickly turned to a sorrowful look. He turned back to his potion and stirred it.

"I am not a hero, Miss Granger," he said with a sigh.

She moved back to him and waited for him to look up at her. His expression had the mix of sorrow with a touch of curiosity as to why she hadn't returned to her place.

"You are to me, sir. I want you to know that."

She turned and made her way back to her cauldron. When she'd settled back to stirring, she looked up and saw him looking at her in contemplation. He immediately broke their eye contact and went back to his stirring. They spent the rest of the time working on their brews. Hermione studied hers and wondered just what it signified.